Silicon Carbide Products (SCP) recently celebrated its 20th anniversary. The company, which was founded in 1994 in Horseheads, N.Y., produces ceramic components for use in a variety of industrial applications. Martin Metzger, president and co-founder, recently discussed the company’s history, the changing materials processing landscape, and SCP’s keys to success.

How was Silicon Carbide Products created?

SCP was formed from a professional standpoint to offer a high-quality product, our SCProbond™ material, and greatly improve customer service over its current state in 1994. The market was experiencing a consolidation, and timing worked out. Personally, my family wanted to move closer to relatives as our young family expanded. In addition, my desire for founding a small company and being a part of creating a positive environment was a strong pull, vs. being in a larger corporate role.

What products did the company originally produce, and with how many employees?

SCP originally produced components from our SCProbond material, similar to those we produce today but with an additional caveat: we often received the jobs no one else wanted to produce. The parts were small orders, difficult to produce and often low profit. The company was originally comprised of my business partner and co-founder, Mark Witmer, and me.

How has the materials processing industry evolved over the years?

The materials processing industry has changed greatly over the last 20 years as significant industry consolidation has occurred. Government environmental and trade regulations have also had a large impact. As a U.S.-owned and operated manufacturer, we have felt the impact of world market competition that has skewed buying patterns, with price often trumping quality.

What changes has the company sustained in order to meet these changing demands?

SCP has worked to meet the changing landscape over the past 20 years by developing new customers and new markets. We continuously look to add value for customers by working closely with their engineering and purchasing departments. We have adopted and developed new technology to improve our productivity, control our costs and increase our quality while reducing lead times.

What are the keys to the company’s longevity?

A crucial key to our longevity is our drive to be the best at what we do: to take care of the customer and make the buying experience with SCP straightforward and user friendly. Our philosophy is to under-promise and over-deliver, with an overall objective of making it easy for our customers to do business with us. In addition, we have a skilled, dedicated workforce that understands these objectives and participates in making this happen every day. The saying “the devil is in the details” rings true at SCP.

What does the future hold for Silicon Carbide Products?

SCP’s long-term goal is to grow and serve existing and new markets globally. In addition, we will work to identify new opportunities to where our expertise can benefit customers’ needs. We are staffing for growth and plan to continue expansion into new market areas that will enable us to capitalize on our strengths as a company developed over the past 20 years.  

 For more information, visit www.scprobond.com.